You may be aware that from 23 June 2025 Primary Care is now able to prescribe the weight loss injection tirzepatide (often known as Mounjaro) under very strict guidelines. The Cambridge and Peterborough Integrated Care Board have set out the following instructions for GP surgeries in this area:
1. Your regular GP should not prescribe tirzepatide or similar medicines (called GLP-1 agonists) for managing weight loss or obesity.
2. NHS England guidelines say that only people with the highest health risks related to obesity can receive these medicines right now.
3. If you meet certain criteria, you can be referred to the Healthy You service to see if tirzepatide might be suitable for you. You may only be eligible if you meet the following criteria:
• Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 40 or higher (or 37.5 or higher if you are from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean backgrounds)
AND
• You have at least FOUR of the following health conditions:
o Type 2 diabetes
o High blood pressure needing medication
o Heart or blood vessel disease
o Sleep apnoea needing treatment (such as a CPAP machine)
o High cholesterol needing treatment
If you do NOT meet all these criteria, please do not contact your GP to ask for tirzepatide. The NHS rules are strict, and your GP will not be able to prescribe it for you right now.
Need help managing your weight but don’t meet the criteria?
You can still get support! You can refer yourself to the Healthy You service here:
https://healthyyou.org.uk/sign-up/